Everything Came Crumbling Down, Right?
by demonicfaerie2009
Summary: Multi-Chapter. What would happen to Tyler and the rest of the group if Caroline left him for Klaus? Rated M for sexual content in later chapters, possible foul language and violence. Not a Klaroline love-story. Sorry, probably should have listed that sooner. Tyler/Elena
1. Truth

**Disclaimer: Do not own TVD or any of it's characters.**

**Warning: Rated M for possible graphic nature/language/violence in later chapters**

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The last week was one spent on pins and needles around the Hybrid. Something was wrong with Caroline and he didn't know what. He'd confronted her last week about it, but she'd brushed it off by saying that she was worried about her friends. Understandable since there was always something going on with one of their friends. What Tyler didn't understand was why he couldn't touch his own girlfriend. Caroline seemed to be giving him the cold shoulder and he couldn't quite figure out why. Every time he moved to kiss her mouth, he caught her cheek instead. If he tried to hold her hand she would grip his lightly for a second or two, and then let him go again. The furthest he'd get with the blonde was a quick hug.

Caroline wouldn't talk to him, wouldn't tell him what was really on her mind and that worried him. He thought it was supposed to be them against the world. So three days ago he'd had that awkward conversation with Elena. He could remember it vividly. He'd approached the doppleganger and begged for her to look into it. To talk to her best friend and find out what was wrong with her. Yes, Caroline had said that she was just a little overwhelmed by everything and Tyler trusted her completely, but there was still something that was off and he couldn't quite put his finger on what.

Which was why he'd enlisted the help of Elena. He probably could have asked Bonnie or Stefan, but they both seemed a little busy with things of their own. Stefan seemed preoccupied with finding out what Klaus's latest plot was while Bonnie was busy mooning over Jeremy. Everyone knew it, but she still tried to act as though there was nothing happening. He could have asked Matt, but it would have been a little suspicious for her ex-boyfriend to be asking about her current one. There was no one else to talk to. He could have asked Damon.. but.. well.. No one wanted to be around Damon right now, not with the elder Salvatore brother's proclamation of his love for Rebekah.. and her's for him. It was kind of sickening, actually.

Now it was a waiting game, really. Elena had agreed that Caroline had seemed off and had agreed to looking into it for him, but not before reassuring him that there was nothing to be found, that Caroline probably **was** just distracted. Tyler had allowed Elena to get his hopes up, too. Which was why he'd been a little hurt yesterday by his and Caroline's argument. She'd come over, they'd talked about the weather. _When the hell did our relationship get reduced to weather!? _He remembered wondering darkly. They'd talked in slightly uncomfortable silence for almost an hour before the blonde had blurted out that she had to do something for her mother and needed to leave. Tyler had wrapped his arms around her and told her that he'd missed her.

She'd told him she missed him too. Tyler told her that he loved her. _You too,_ had been her response. He'd moved to kiss her and caught nothing more than her cheek as she'd turned her face away. The response had been enough to flip a little switch and Tyler began yelling. Caroline yelled right back. They'd screamed at one another, said hurtful things that they never should have.. all the while Tyler was simply begging her to tell him what was wrong, why things seemed to be falling apart. Again, Caroline told him that it was nothing, that she needed to wrap her head around some things and she would be fine again soon. Within an hours time things had settled and she stood on tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek, lingering there just long enough to give him hope that everything would be alright. And then she was gone. That was yesterday.

The Hybrid was currently relaxing back against the couch, watching something on TV. Honestly, he wasn't even sure what the hell he was watching anymore since he'd only paid attention to the narrators monotone voice for all of thirty seconds before his vision clouded and he was lost within his own head. Tyler hadn't realized that he'd fallen asleep until his phone rang, vibrating roughly on the glass coffee table across from him. Blearily he reached for the phone and hit talk without looking to see who was calling. "Hello?" He grumbled, eyes flashing to the clock to realize he'd fallen asleep nearly four hours ago.

"Tyler." A familiar voice rang into his ear and he yawned in the midst of attempting a response. He wanted to go upstairs and drop like a lead ball into his bed. "I know what's going on with Caroline." Elena's voice rattled through the speaker, causing him to sit bolt upright, all thoughts of sleep vanished.

"What?"

"Can.. Can we meet somewhere?"

"Sure, I can be to your house in 20 minutes?" He suggested, but the doppleganger didn't want to meet there.. or maybe it was too long of a wait. He wasn't sure. "No, I'll be at your house in ten." She responded.

Elena had clicked off after that and Tyler's heart thundered madly within his chest. So.. something **was** going on with Care. But what? There were only a couple of things that he could think of that were enough for her to hide it from him. Maybe she was planning a surprise birthday party for him. _Yeah, Lockwood, and woodpeckers eat steel._ He thought bitterly. Elena had sounded worried, that meant it was something a little worse than planning a birthday party.

He walked to the door and paced the porch while waiting for Elena to arrive and when she did the brunette stayed in her car for a short time, simply staring at the steering wheel like she was trying to steel her nerves. Eventually, Tyler got tired of waiting and jogged down the steps and across the gravel to her. After kneeling a little he knocked on the drivers window with an arched brow, causing the new vampire to jump slightly in her seat, chocolatey eyes landing on Tyler and sighing.

She looked tired, almost defeated, even. A frown tugged at Tyler's lips in response before opening the door to help her out. "You okay, Elena?" He asked. The two had never really been all that close, but they'd talked throughout the years and it was enough that they both considered the other a friend. Or perhaps it was more that they had mutual friends and they were nothing more than acquaintances. That seemed likely as well. It didn't matter though, because it was enough for him to have asked Elena for help and enough that she was here to help him.

"Yeah.. I just.. I need to walk.." She muttered, obviously fighting with herself about something. What, Tyler hadn't the faintest clue. He gently took hold of her arm and lead her toward the back of the house, allowing Elena to set the pace as she walked in silence, staring at the pond ahead. The hybrid wouldn't admit it, but he was so nervous that he felt sick to his stomach.

When he couldn't take it anymore he turned to look at her. "Elena, what's going on with Caroline?" He asked at the same time she looked at him and said, "Caroline's cheating on you." Tyler froze, taking a moment to be sure he'd heard her correctly. _Cheating? Caroline? Impossible._ "A-Are you sure? I mean.. this is Care." He asked, his dark eyes still a little wider than normal.

Elena frowned when she noticed how pale he'd gone and wished she'd kept her mouth shut. But there had been an internal struggle on what was important. Caroline was her best friend, she'd known the blonde since before they could walk, but Tyler was her friend too and he'd come to her, begging for help. She didn't know what she should listen to, the loyalty to her best friend, or the promise she'd made to that friend's boyfriend. In the end, that promise meant more. "Yeah.. I'm sure.." She whispered.

Tyler looked down at the girl in disbelief. Caroline. His Caroline was cheating? With who? "How are you so sure?" He asked instead. His mind had begun reeling, who could Caroline possibly be cheating on him with? Matt? Matt was still hung up on the crush he'd had on Rebekah. Jeremy? Was with Bonnie, he was sure. Damon was with Rebekah and Stefan? Well, Stefan was single since Elena had turned both brothers down after she'd been turned, but Tyler knew that both Stefan and Caroline saw each other more as siblings than something romantic. So.. Who?

"I went over to Caroline's, I was going to visit with her and talk to her, see if I could find out what was up. I get over there and I could hear laughing and giggling inside. So.. I crept around to the window and... I saw them together, curled on the couch kissing." Elena swallowed hard as she looked into Tyler's face. She bit down on her lower lip and frowned, waiting for some sort of backlash.

"Wh... Who was she with?" Tyler asked, running through the list of people he knew once more before one name triggered into his head. _No_, he thought as his eyes snapped back to Elena's face. It couldn't be.. "Klaus." Elena's voice confirmed.

Tyler's mouth fell open as he gasped for a breath, feeling as if someone had blocked off his airway. Even though the name had popped into his head he hadn't truly believed for a second that it could be. Tyler had never had a panic attack in his life, but he was sure that's what was happening now. The world around him spun as he sucked mouthfuls of air into his lungs, though with each breath he felt as if his lungs weren't getting any. "Tyler?" He barely heard the girls voice as his knees went weak. _Klaus? Of all the people in this god forsaken world, __**KLAUS**_?! "No. No.. no, no, no. Not Klaus! Anyone but Klaus!" He begged aloud without really realizing he'd spoken the words.

His hands raised to cover his face and Elena reached out to gently touch his arm. She was hoping to comfort him in anyway that she possibly could, but really didn't know how. Everyone knew that Caroline was the first girl–of the many that Tyler Lockwood had been with–that he'd actually loved. She honestly didn't know how he was going to jump back from this or if he would ever trust anyone fully again. He'd been so head over heels for the blonde and then this happens. And she'd thought that Caroline was better than this. After seeing what Jeremy cheating on Bonnie had done to their best friend she would have assumed that Caroline never would have done the same thing.

"I don't know how long it's been going on.. but they looked pretty cozy." Elena said softly, though Tyler barely seemed to hear her. Of course, Elena didn't go into full details either. Caroline and Klaus weren't just cuddled up together on the couch like she'd told him, there had been so much more than sweet kisses. She wasn't going to tell him that, though. It was bad enough that she'd had to tell him that Caroline was with Klaus, but to go into the details she'd seen? That would shatter the Hybrid.

"Klaus!?" Tyler repeated, sounding breathless. His hand raised to clutch at his chest, feeling as if it were constricting painfully. His heart felt like it were beating a thousand times faster than normal and he was still sucking in gasping breaths as if he couldn't get enough air. Without warning he dropped to his knees, feeling them give out from under him.

"I'm.. Oh god, Tyler, I'm sorry!" She said as she dropped in front of him, her hands resting gently on his shoulders.

"Why?" He asked to no one in particular. At a loss for more to say, Elena simply waited there, waited for the shock to pass. She was expecting anger, fury beyond anything she'd ever seen. Everyone knew that Tyler had a temper and was more likely to start swinging than hope for a civil conversation. The doppleganger chewed at the inside of her lower lip while watching him. What she hadn't expected were the tears that sprang to his eyes, which made her feel even more horrible for having to tell him.

"I.. I was going to talk to her, tell her that she needed to tell you.. but..." Her voice trailed off, thinking that once more he wasn't listening. Again, he shocked her by locking those dark eyes against hers.

"But, what?"

Elena took in a deep breath as she watched him. She felt even more horrible for telling him as a tear slid down his cheek. She'd just broken him, torn out his heart. _He asked for it, _a small part of her brain told her. And it was true, he had asked her to find out what was going on with Caroline, but he'd never expected it to turn out like this, that much she knew. Elena swallowed hard, "but I don't know when she was going to. Like I said, they looked pretty cozy... like it's been going on for a while..." She said while looking at him.

So Caroline had been cheating on him for God only knew how long and didn't even have the guts to tell him. He was reminded of their talks over the last week.. how she'd told him she'd just been worried about her friends. _LIAR,_ he screamed internally. She hadn't wanted to touch him or kiss him because she was with Klaus. "Oh.. god.." He cried out as his hands raised to cover his face when an image of the two of them ran through his head.. Five people in his entire life had seen him cry. His mother, his father, Matt, Caroline and now Elena. He hated adding someone to that list, hated knowing that anyone could see him as weak. Even when he felt that he was.

No sooner had the cry left his lips and Elena's arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders, dragging him closer to her to hug him. "I'm so sorry, Tyler. I wish it would have been different. I'm sorry I had to be the one to tell you. I'm so sorry!" She exclaimed as her grip on him tightened. Tyler couldn't get the thought out of his head. Caroline and Klaus, his Caroline wrapped around his arch-enemies body, their lips on one anothers, their bodies wrapped in ways that Tyler had only wanted for the two of them for the rest of their unnatural lives.

Again his chest tightened as he couldn't get the images to stop flashing through his mind and his breathing hitched. His hands left his face, quickly wrapping around her lower back as he buried his face into her neck, crying even harder than he had before. The cries, mixed with his already erratic breathing made it harder to catch the breath his lungs seemed to ache for. She held tightly to him, stroking his hair and murmuring comforting words into his ear that he didn't seem to hear.

It was thirty minutes later that Tyler managed to calm his breathing and stop the flow of tears enough to extract himself from Elena's embrace. His eyes were red and swollen, though there was a hardness to them that actually sent a shiver of terror through the doppleganger. "Tyler. Tyler promise me you're not going to do something stupid." She commanded.

"Like what?" He asked with an edge to his voice that Elena had never heard before.

"Like go.."

"..After Klaus?" He finished the sentence, causing her to nod. Tyler scoffed and shook his head, turning his gaze toward the sky momentarily. "What more could he do to me?" He asked when he finally looked back at her. "He turned me, he killed my mom, he ran me out of town, he killed all the other hybrids and now he took Caroline. What more could he do?" He asked, his eyes still tearful but that dangerous tone gave an edge that once more made Elena shiver.

"He could kill you." Elena countered.

"He already did." Tyler retorted, pulling himself away from the brunette and shoving himself unsteadily to his feet. After sitting on his knees for over half an hour they were a little weak.

"Tyler!" She shouted while jumping to her feet and running after him as he stalked up toward the house. "Tyler promise me!" Tyler said nothing, simply kept walking toward the house with a scowl set into his lips. "Tyler please!" Elena shouted desperately. She couldn't stand the thought of losing even one more friend to that monster. He had just reached the bottom step on his way to the front door when Elena reached out and snagged his arm, halting him and pulling him back just enough so that she could see his face. What she saw made her heart sink and terrified her all at the same time. His eyes looked so dead, there was a hardness in his features that she'd never seen before.. in anyone. Even Klaus. He looked so lethal that it took everything in her not to pull her arm away. "Tyler.. please, promise me that you're not going to do something stupid." She plead again.

Tyler ripped his arm out of her grasp. "You'd better go home, Elena.. before you get hurt." Even with that deadly look on his face, his tone had softened slightly to speak to her. When she opened her mouth to protest, however, the anger seeped back into his voice. "Now." He commanded before running up the steps to the manor. Elena wanted so desperately to follow him, to tell him not to go, but she knew that in the end he wouldn't listen. A part of her also wanted to call Caroline and warn the blonde, but couldn't bring herself to do either. Instead she went home, calling Matt and Stefan along the way.

Matt promised to check in on Tyler as soon as he'd gotten off work. Stefan had no idea about Caroline, sure they talked a lot, but the blonde had had everyone convinced of her undying love for Tyler and Tyler alone. With the promise that Stefan wouldn't talk to Caroline about it just yet, Elena hung up and dropped onto the couch. She could hear Bonnie and Jeremy laughing gently upstairs and contemplated going to sit with them, if only for a little while to distract herself. Sadly, she couldn't bring herself to get back off the couch. Elena felt like hell for telling Tyler because she felt like the cause of that heartache that had come over his features. She felt responsible for the pain he was in and the anger that was coursing through him. Sure, she could have kept it to herself until Caroline had been ready to spill to truth, but she'd promised Tyler and didn't want to go back on that promise.

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**Review, lemme know what you think so far.**


	2. Coming Home

**Disclaimer: Do Not Own TVD or Characters.**

**Warning: Rated M for a reason**

**Author's Note: I know that some of you are worried/concerned about Tyler's behavior. I, as the author, will defend my work. We have never seen Tyler in such an emotional situation before. The one girl that he has ever truly loved cheated on him with his nemesis, I believe that he would be hurt and grieving before the anger would come. Also, I know that a lot of you are worried about Caroline having cheated on him. It was not to pave the way for Klaroline as many of you might believe, and the reasoning for her betrayal will become clear in later chapters. As with all good things, it comes to those who wait. Also, as a side note, it is tagged AU for a reason. Now, enough babble and onto the next chapter.**

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That was two months ago. Tyler had raged and screamed, he'd even gone after Klaus in some attempt to hurt the Original. No one even suspected that Elena had been the one to tell him the truth since they didn't know she'd seen them. Tyler had caught Caroline coming out of the Mikaelson Manor with her hair tousled and her lipstick smeared and another lie falling from her lips. She'd told him that she'd been there to see Klaus about a donation for the school, but Tyler already knew the truth and called her out on it, with the make-up being his first 'idea' at the truth.

He'd yelled and screamed at Caroline and had even called her things that he never would have thought would fall from his lips until she was in tears, yet still denying any sort of romance with Klaus. He'd stormed up the stairs and beat on Klaus' door until the Original had answered and began screaming at him as well. In the end Klaus admitted to Caroline's betrayal with him and Tyler had punched him in the mouth. What had ensued was a fight that quickly turned deadly as both men let that werewolf out. When Caroline tried to stop it, Tyler had accidentally bitten her. Even when it had happened he hadn't meant to hurt her. Not like that. Klaus had threatened to kill him if he didn't leave, so the Hybrid walked away. He was hurt, he was angry, he was tired and he was broken. What did he have left but an empty house filled with trivial material things that meant nothing to him.

Only now, two months later, was Tyler starting to get back to himself. After the attack on Klaus and the accidental biting of Caroline, Tyler had apologized up one side and down the other to Matt and Elena before leaving town. He needed to get his head back on right and he couldn't do that in a place with so many haunting memories. He'd gone to Paris, he'd made a trip out to Hollywood, he'd even spent a week in the Bahama's laying on the beach. Everything he could to just distract himself from the pain that was Caroline.

Tyler had called Matt a week ago and asked if his friend could get into the house and clear out anything that was Caroline's or anything that might remind him when he did decide to come home and Matt had gladly obliged between statements of missing his friend. "I'll be home soon enough, Matty." He'd promised without giving any definite time. Mostly because he wasn't sure of that himself. He was afraid to go home, to see Caroline and Klaus together and ignite all of that fury all over again. He couldn't lose the control he had over himself, even for an instant. He could hurt someone too badly.

**Welcome to Mystic Falls! Enjoy your stay!** The sign at the edge of town read and Tyler rolled his eyes as he drove past it. "I haven't enjoyed anything about this town in a long time." He muttered to himself. _Where to first, Lockwood_, he mused silently. A shower couldn't hurt, but he also wanted to see Matt.. badly. Spotting his truck parked behind the Grill made Tyler smile before pulling up to park in front of the restaurant. He sucked in a breath, letting his dark eyes dance around the street at the few people milling about in the warm summer air. He hoped to god he wouldn't see the blonde. Not today.

After pulling himself out of the car Tyler straightened the hem of his dark shirt over his jeans before walking up to the door and yanking it open. It took a couple of seconds for his eyes to get used to that dim lighting inside the bar. During that time it had gone completely quiet and several were voices he recognized. He blinked once more to clear his vision and when his eyes opened to it was to a head of dark hair as a pair of slender arms wrapped around his neck. "Oh my God! You're back!" Elena exclaimed, hugging him tightly.

A soft chuckle slid through his lips, wrapping a quick hug around her waist before releasing her. "Yeah. I'm back." He said gently before Elena released him and a hand clapped him on the shoulder. "What? Couldn't call and tell us you were coming?" Matt teased with a grin, obviously glad that his best friend was back. "What and miss the looks on your faces?" Tyler retorted.

"Tyler!" Bonnie exclaimed happily, bouncing over to wrap a hug of her own around his neck, kissing his cheek in the process. No sooner did she pull away and he felt a light punch to his arm. "Good to have you back, Lockwood." Jeremy said, smiling lightly.

Tyler gently punched Jeremy's shoulder in return. "Thanks, Gilbert." He couldn't help but to feel as if the group was... incomplete without that little blonde head bopping around and couldn't stop himself from looking around for her. Four sets of eyes watched him, knowing who he was looking for but none had the courage to say anything for fear it would drive him away again. Feeling their gaze on him and feeling satisfied that Caroline wasn't here, Tyler turned back and offered a quick smile. "So? What's been going on?"

He was greeted by a swell of noise from the four that had him raising his hands and laughing gently. "Whoa, whoa, one at a time!" He exclaimed. "You. Go." He said while pointing at Jeremy.

The group lead Tyler to one of the booths and all of them began to sit while Jeremy spoke. "Well.. Bonnie and I are back together."

"Tell me something I didn't already figure out Gilbert." He teased with a laugh. Of course, he'd already assumed as much by the close touch of the witch and her best friends baby brother. Jeremy flushed darkly while holding Bonnie's hand, obviously having something on the tip of his tongue that he was having difficulty spilling out. "I mean, you guys were close to getting back together by the time I left. Kinda figured that one out on my own."

Bonnie blushed as well, glancing toward Elena, then Matt. Everyone already seemed to know anyway. "Jeremy and I are.. going to have a baby." She said so quietly that Tyler almost didn't hear her.

When the words sunk in his eyes widened. "Wha-? Since when?!" He asked in shock. He was more shocked that everyone else seemed comfortable around the news. Elena should have been freaking out, but instead she was happily beaming over at the couple from her place between Matt and Tyler.

"Umm, well.." Jeremy started and Bonnie finished, "I'm about two months along now." She said while holding tightly to Jeremy's hand and looking over at the boy tenderly. Jeremy flushed again and returned the squeeze before looking back to Tyler.

"Didn't think you had it in you, Gilbert! Congratulations!" He said with a little smile. Sure, Jeremy still had his senior year in High School to finish out, but.. well, Tyler felt like he could help them out if they needed it. After all, he was one of the richest people in Mystic Falls and they were his friends. "Okay, you." He pointed to Elena next.

"Nothing. Honestly." She said with a laugh. "Just watching out for these two so they don't get into too much trouble."

"What about Stefan and Damon?" He asked, carefully avoiding mention of the blonde.

"Well, Damon and Rebekah took off about three weeks ago for Italy. No idea why or when they'll be back.. but they're gone. Stefan left after..." She bit her lip, stopping herself from saying Klaus and Caroline. Chocolatey eyes turned toward the tabletop for a moment before Tyler frowned and steadied himself. His hand reached out to gently squeeze her arm as if telling her to go on. "Klaus went after Katherine again since she started snooping around here, Caroline went off with him and Stefan was with Katherine."

Tyler's nose wrinkled up staring at his hand on her arm and trying to act like her speech didn't annoy him. _You're supposed to be over her, Lockwood._ He growled at himself before offering a soft smile as Elena placed her hand over his on her arm. Leaving it there he looked to Matt. "And best for last. What's been going on with you, Matty?"

Matt's shoulders shrugged up quickly, shaking his head. "You're looking at it. Still working here, hooked up with April, trying to get things squared away for college this fall. You still applying with me?" Matt asked hopefully. Tyler frowned and shook his head in response.

"No, I'm gonna take the year off, make sure everything is still okay..." _in my head_. He finished in thought.

"Good, you can take that year and help me." Bonnie exclaimed with a laugh, patting at her belly, though very obviously teasing.

"Oh yes, that sounds like the most thrilling thing I could spend my time doing. Watching out for Baby Gilbert." He joked before laughing. "I'll see what I can do."

Bonnie and Jeremy both grinned over at him before Bonnie jumped in her seat. "Oh my god, we've gotta go." She said while pushing at Jeremy to get him to move so that they both could get out of the booth. The dark-skinned girl quickly leaned over and wrapped Tyler into another hug. "I'm glad you're back." She said, then placed a kiss to his cheek and slid out of the seat. She grasped Jeremy's hand and he barely had the time to reach back and wave with the other before she'd pulled him out the door with a "see you guys later" hanging in the air behind them.

Matt and Elena chuckled at the look of confusion that crossed over Tyler's face. "Doctor appointment." Elena said softly causing Tyler to nod and Matt to frown lightly.

"Thinking of going, I've gotta get back to work. I'm glad you're home Ty." Matt said with a genuine smile crossing his lips. Tyler grinned back at his best friend. When Matt stood, it left him alone with Elena, who he only just now realized still had her hand on his which still rested on top of her arm. A tiny smile traced his lips as he pulled his hand away and leaned back.

"So. How are you?" Elena asked, her dark eyes surveying him.

"I'm okay, Elena."

"Where'd you go?"

"Saw Paris for a couple weeks, spent some time down in the Bahamas, just kinda.. went."

"Paris, was it gorgeous?"

"Eh, it was alright, if you can tolerate eating snails." He said with a wrinkle in his nose to indicate that he didn't tolerate snails.

Elena laughed softly, then let it fade as her hand touched his arm this time. "So, how are you really?" She asked now, knowing that there was something buried deep within him that he wanted to break out.

"I'm okay.."

"Come on, Tyler. Talk to me."

He sighed heavily, letting his gaze dance around the place to look anywhere but at her. He knew that if he looked into those warm brown eyes he would spill everything and wind up feeling depressed again. God knew he didn't want to feel that way again. Never.

"Ty, you just took off after everything.. no one knew where you were going or if you were coming back. Matt was scared to death when Klaus wanted to leave town thinking that he was coming after you.. What happened?"

He sighed again and shook his head. "I just needed a break, Elena." He said, still without looking at her. Matt swooped by the table and set a glass of soda down for each of them, then winked and disappeared again. His best friend was obviously still in celebratory mode. Tyler couldn't help but to smile before glancing to Elena and seeing that the brunette was still watching him, waiting for an answer. "I thought he was going to kill me." He confided, talking about having accidentally bit Caroline during he and Klaus' fight. "And after everything I just.. I had to get away. I couldn't stand being here and knowing that I could run into the happy couple anywhere I went. I couldn't stand looking around and knowing that something special between me and her happened there. I couldn't stand my own house because it was empty without my mom or her around." Each time he avoided saying either of their names, terrified of what it could do to him.

"I wanted to walk away while I still had the chance. I was worried that if I didn't go I would shut it all off and.. I... I know I'd be something like him and I... I can't." Tyler confessed as Elena gently squeezed his arm. "And when I finally thought my head was clear enough to come back I made my way home. On one hand I wanted to see her. I wanted nothing more than for her to be standing here with the rest of you welcoming me back because God knows I still love her and only He seems to know why. But.. on the other I was terrified of seeing her. Terrified that she would look past me like I didn't exist. Like we didn't spend a year together. I don't know which one would have been worse." He spilled it all out, unable to stop himself once he'd started. When he'd finally stopped talking Tyler reached for the glass and took a long drink before turning his gaze onto the doppleganger.

Elena offered a gentle smile and nodded her head. "I think I understand how you feel. I wanted to shut it all off after everything with Ric, but.. I had to stand strong for Jeremy.. and now Jeremy and Bonnie and the baby. Everything just keeps piling up. I swear, there's not one normal day around here."

"Actually," he started and laughed again, "I think this is the most normal it's been in a long time." A teenage pregnancy and several broken hearts? More normal than a sadistic Original Hybrid trying to hunt them each down.

Elena returned the laugh, nodding in agreement after she'd thought about it. It was true, actually. A teen pregnancy and a couple of break-ups were the most normal things to happen to their group in what felt like years. Tyler looked at her for several long moments before finding his voice again. "And what about you?"

"What about me?"

"How are you, really?" He asked with a quirk in his brow.

"I'm.. dealing, every day." She responded with a shrug. He gave her an encouraging look and the brunette frowned before continuing. "Well, I mean.. One day Damon's telling me that he loves me and the next he's magically in love with Rebekah who loves him back? I don't know.. for a bit there I thought she'd compelled him, but it seems real enough the longer it goes on. And then Stefan? My god, he just up and leaves because he thinks Klaus is up to something. No call, no nothing, the boarding house is just.. empty. And now all of this with Bonnie and Jer.. I love them both and I'm glad that they're sticking together, but I wish that this wouldn't have happened for a couple more years, let Jer be out of school and both of them working on getting through college." She vented and shook her head gently. "Matt seems to be okay, though." Elena said while looking over the back of the booth toward Matt as he walked around, dropping off food at various tables. "He and April got together almost a month back and they care about each other."

"I'm glad for him." Tyler said, looking toward his friend as well. When his attention shifted back to the vampire in front of him he stilled his nerves. "Have you..." a sigh ripped passed his lips, unable to finish the sentence.

Thankfully, Elena was able to read his mind and shook her head. "I haven't talked to her since about a week after you left. We fought and argued and I tried to convince her that she was being stupid, but she wouldn't listen and kept telling me that she loved him. Her and Bonnie fought too, Matt hasn't talked to her since he found out about everything.. She left the day after we'd fought." She seemed to understand that Tyler didn't want to hear the name, so kept it to herself.

The two fell silent for some time, simply looking at one another or the surrounding patrons of the bar. Elena took another drink of her soda before turning her gaze back to him and smiling softly. "I'm really glad your back, Tyler. Wasn't the same without you here."

"I'm sure you guys managed just fine without me." Tyler countered with a smirk tugging on his full lips.

"Still wasn't the same. You almost missed graduation, you know?" She asked, a brow arching up lightly.

He chuckled in response and shook his head. "Of all the things to talk about, you've got graduation?" He asked, then shrugged. "I don't even know if I will graduate. I missed two months of school."

Elena shrugged as well, she wasn't so sure. Then again, Matt hadn't been sure he would graduate either and he was pulling it off thanks to April. "I'm sure I could help you with whatever make-up work someone assigns you?"

"There's a month to graduation, there's no way I'll catch up in time." He responded. "Guess I could repeat senior year with Jer, if anything."

"I'm sure he'd love having someone around. We'll figure something out, Ty." She reassured him, reaching out to pat his arm gently.

His gaze dropped to her hand before jumping back to her face for a moment, then smiled softly. "Thanks, Elena."

"No problem."

They sat in silence for another couple of minutes, finishing their drinks, all the while Elena's hand remained on his arm and he had to pretend it wasn't there. After he'd taken the last drink he possibly could he reached over to pat her hand, then gently extracted his arm from it. "I gotta go. Had a long drive, need to lay down for a bit."

"Alright, see you later, Tyler."

He smiled, then leaned over to give her another hug. As he started to pull back Tyler's head turned to kiss her cheek at the same moment that hers turned to do the same. The corners of their mouths touched and instantly Elena's face flushed brightly. "Sorry," they both said at the same time as they pulled away.

"I'll.. see you later." Tyler said, pulling himself out of the booth.

"Yeah.. see you soon." Elena said, chewing lightly on her lower lip and attempting to will the blush away.

His dark eyes danced over her face for a moment, smirked and turned to leave.

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	3. Confrontation

**Disclaimer: As before**.

**Warnings: As before.**

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He'd played it off better than Elena had.. far better than Elena had anyway. Once in the car he let out a heavy breath and fought to get his heart to stop beating so damned erratically. _What the hell? That's Elena! _He thought and shook his head while his dark eyes flashed toward the Grill, spotting her staring out toward him through the window. He forced a quick smile and waved, then started the car as she waved back, still biting at her lip.

Sure, he hadn't meant the half kiss, and he was sure that she hadn't either, but that didn't stop his heart from beating like mad or the little flutter of feelings lower. _Calm down, Lockwood. It was nothing._ He warned while driving and only minutes later he'd pulled up to the mansion. It looked cold, desolate. Steeling himself, Tyler grabbed his bags and hauled them out of the car before heading into the house. A fine layer of dust seemed to cover everything and it was stifling hot inside. He had to wonder if the power had gotten shut off in his absence. After all, there was no one to pay the bills anymore.

That thought alone made him sigh heavily as he reached out to flick the light switch in the foyer. Surprising him, the light turned on, though it was dimmed by the dust that had collected around the chandelier. No surprise, really. He'd have to call someone to come and help clean like his mother had done. After dropping his bags in his room, Tyler walked slowly through the house, looking at the few memories that were left of his mother and father. His teeth sank into his bottom lip as he stopped outside their door and stared for several moments with his hand hovering over the door knob. Unable to bring himself to open it, he shoved himself away and sauntered down the stairs.

All of the food in the fridge was spoiled, though that's what happened when it sat for 4 months unattended. His nose wrinkled up a little before turning toward the cupboards. Sure, there was plenty there, but everything was more meal-based rather than just something he could pick up on his own. Lovely. Now on top of cleaning he would need to go shopping. That could spell disaster.

After a fast shower, he pulled on a clean set of clothes, then yanked up his phone and called until he found a cleaning service that could start the next morning, then made his way back to the kitchen. Everything in the freezer looked freezer burnt, everything in the fridge rotted. Better call for pizza. A frown traced his lips, _pizza doesn't sound good at all.._he thought and frowned before snatching up the keys once more.

In the hour or so that he'd been at home Matt had already clocked out and Elena was gone by the time he reached the Grill. Go figure. It was with a frown, he flopped down at a table and waited on someone to come and take his order. Half an hour later, Tyler had taken a grand total of three bites of his bacon cheese burger and two fries had vanished from his plate when he heard an all too familiar laugh ring out somewhere behind him. _No.._ Slowly, very very slowly, Tyler shifted in his seat to look behind him, instantly zeroing in on the blonde.

Caroline sat right across from Klaus and the Original was feeding her a piece of pie from the end of his fork, causing her to giggle when it slipped off the metal and back onto the plate. If it were anyone else Tyler might have smiled or thought it was cute and romantic.. but that wasn't just anyone else. He swallowed hard, quickly turning his back on them before they could spot his face. _How did you not see them when you walked in here?_ He questioned himself. _Maybe because you thought they wouldn't be here._ He thought back to the first voice. It didn't matter, he needed to get the hell out.

Flagging the waitress he asked for a to-go box and had been in the process of throwing his fries into the box on top of his cheese burger when he felt a finger tap his shoulder. Instantly his body went rigid as his eyes closed. _Not her, not her, not her.._ he repeated the mantra over and over before hearing the chair across from him scrape lightly against the floor and a muffled thud as a slender body fell into it.

"Tyler?" That voice that he'd once cherished called out softly. Slowly his eyes opened to land on the pretty blonde across from him. Her hair fell in perfect curls around her face, several of those curls pinned back behind her head to keep them out of those startling blue eyes. His eyes traced over the curves of her face, remembering his hands doing the same thing not too very long ago. Swallowing hard, the hybrid tore his eyes away from her and began dumping the rest of his fries into the box so that he could make a quick escape.

A part of his brain screamed to just leave the food and get the hell out of here, but his stomach would protest that later. As soon as the food was into the Styrofoam box Tyler pushed his chair back and stood. He'd only made it two steps when Caroline's hand closed around his forearm. "Please talk to me." She begged, adjusting herself so that she could see his face. Tyler resolutely looked anywhere but at her. "Tyler. Please."

"I'm still here aren't I?" He said in a hard voice that caused Caroline to swallow back a tear. Two months and it was still hurting him. Did that kill her? Of course, but she'd fallen out of love with him what seemed like ages ago now. The blonde gently tugged on his arm to get him to sit back down and he hesitantly obliged. Tyler could hear Niklaus somewhere behind him mutter something, whether to himself or on the phone, he wasn't sure but he made sure not to look. "What do you want, Caroline?" He asked now, dark eyes locked against her face and trying to maintain that same hardened expression.

"To talk... To try and explain things."

"What's there to explain, Care? You cheated on me with the scum of the earth."

"Don't. Tyler, just don't."

He actually scoffed when she defended Klaus. "Don't what? Insult him? He killed my mom. He killed Jenna and Jules. He tried to have Bonnie and Elena killed, Matt.. Me! Did you forget how many people he's tortured over the years? Or threatened? How about having kept his whole family in boxes for centuries? How could you defend him? He's a monster." He spat out, lip curling in a sneer.

"He's not like that anymore, Tyler."

"Maybe not with you. You're the only one he gives a crap about, Caroline. Did you really think he'd stopped hurting people just because you screwed him?" He snapped and watched her jaw lock to keep from saying something she would regret. The way her hands balled into fists brought a faint smirk to his lips, knowing he was getting to her.

"We're getting off the topic.." She breathed in the hope that she'd find her voice quickly without it rising to a shout.

"No, we're perfectly on topic. You came to explain how you could cheat on me with him. I was just trying to understand how he was able to seduce you. I always thought you were smarter than that.. that you wouldn't give into his charm. And you wound up in his bed for... how long before I even found out?" He asked now, spotting the twitch in her jaw as she fought to maintain her composure.

"It wasn't very long at all, Tyler.. I swear it to you, I was going to tell you about it.. I just couldn't think of how."

"Wasn't long? That means you slept with him pretty quick, Care. Wow." She looked taken aback, but before there was the opportunity for her to say anything Tyler cut in again. "Don't lie, Caroline.. I'm not stupid. Months. You'd been with him for months. I mean, it only makes sense. I wasn't allowed to touch you, I could barely look at you, we barely saw one another and when we did it was only for a short time before you would make up some excuse to take off again. That went on for months. Not just a little while, months. Stop lying." He blurted all of it out while staring at her.

Caroline shifted in her seat, flashing a blue eyed glance toward Klaus and offered a smile in his direction that tore at Tyler's heart. He'd thought that he could get over her easily, but damn had he been wrong. Two months and he was still aching because of her. His nails dug into his palms as he tried to keep himself stationary. Just knowing that that smile was for Klaus and not him hurt more than she would ever know. Tyler ground his teeth before Caroline looked back at him.

"I'm sorry, Tyler. I wanted to tell you.. I just.. I couldn't. It was never the right time."

This caused him to blink in confusion. _Never the right time._ "When's the first time you slept with him?" Tyler asked causing the blondes eyes to widen in shock.

"You really don't want to know that."

"Yes. I do."

Caroline swallowed hard and fingered the fabric at the hem of her shirt. "Before the Esther turned Ric.."

"So.. Let me get this straight. You were still sleeping with him after you learned that he killed my mother?!" He accused. Caroline opened her mouth to say something more but Tyler lurched to his feet, snagging his food on the way. "Don't bother. I don't want to hear it. You said all that you needed to Caroline and I don't need to hear any more. Now it's my turn." Tyler barely realized that his voice had risen and that half the people in the Grill were watching them. "I loved you. With every fiber of my being and I would have fought for you if I'd known I needed to fight. You were all I wanted and when I looked into the future all I could see was you and me against everything.

And then you went and ruined it by fucking around behind my back with him. I don't want to talk to you. I don't want to hear it anymore because I simply don't care. Take your apologies and shove them." He snapped out and Caroline looked as if he'd slapped her across the face. Her slender hand rose to cover her mouth while staring up at him, feeling tears spring to her eyes. Tyler rarely ever cursed, except when he was really angry and he almost never spilled his emotions out like this for the world to see. He kept most things on lock-down and she knew that it had to be hard on him, but yet she couldn't say anything that would comfort him. There was nothing _to_ say.

Before she could find her voice, Tyler quickly made his way out the door without a backward glance.

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	4. Drunken Moments

**Disclaimer: As before**

**Warning: Underage drinking in this chapter.**

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The sun had set and his dinner lay on the table in front of him, untouched save for the little bit he'd eaten at the Grill. He'd gotten back to the house and had dropped the food onto the table, then instantly went to his father's liquor cabinet. Without hesitation he yanked the fullest bottle of tequila from inside and after grabbing a shot glass retreated back to the sitting room to drop onto the couch. Tyler uncorked the bottle with his teeth and poured himself a healthy shot into the glass, then downed it. Without a second thought he poured himself a second shot, and a third and a fourth.

By the sixth or seventh he no longer felt the burn as the liquor fell down his throat but also didn't feel that numbness that he'd hoped for. _More alcohol,_ he decided and abandon the shot glass in favor of tipping the bottle to his lips and drinking heavily. Tyler had drank his fair share in his short 18 years of life, but he'd never drank to just kill the pain and he'd also never drank like he was doing now. Normally he would pace himself so as to last the entire night, tonight it was drink after drink after drink. His dark eyes were glassy as he looked to the bottle in his hand and noted that there was only quarter left to it.

Just as he tipped the bottle to his lips again he heard a throat clear behind him. Having been home alone caused him to whip his head around, thankfully not spilling any of the precious tequila. "How'd you get in here?" He asked the brunette when he spotted her. Elena was leaned back on the door frame, her slender arms crossed over her chest and a brow arched up slightly.

"I opened the door." She countered almost jokingly, but Tyler wasn't in the mood for jokes. After taking another drink from the bottle in his hope to drain it before Elena began questioning him, he asked, "what're you doin' here?"

"Meredith called.. She saw you at the Grill.." Elena spoke softly, indicating that she already knew about the argument between he and Caroline. The hybrid heaved a sigh and patted the cushion beside him before draining the bottle and setting it onto the floor by his feet.

"So, what? Thought you needed to check on me?" He asked without looking at her.

"Well... yeah." Elena said as she dropped onto the couch next to him. Her warm eyes surveyed his face, trying to figure out how much he'd had to drink already. Judging by the smell it was probably the whole bottle. "So?"

"So what?"

"How are you?"

"Fine."

"People who are fine don't drink an entire bottle of tequila-"she reached out to flip open the Styrofoam box with his food"-on an empty stomach too."

"Seriously, Elena. Drop it." He commanded, keeping his eyes off of her. Truthfully the smell of his untouched dinner was making him queasy.

"Come on, Tyler.. you need to talk about it."

"No, I don't. What's talking going to do? It's not going to make me feel better. Do you even know what happened at the Grill?" He asked, finally turning his dark eyes onto her face.

"Caroline and Klaus were there and you argued with Caroline."

"Do you know why?"

"No." She admitted, then shook her head, "but whatever it was is hurting you and talking about it might make things a little better."

"No. If I tell you then it's just.. Do you still want to be her friend?" He asked suddenly. Elena frowned lightly at the question before shrugging her slender shoulders up. "I wouldn't mind it. I've known Caroline since.. forever, but at the same time she chose Klaus. The same guy that killed Aunt Jenna and tried to kill me.. he almost had Stefan and Damon and Matt and Jeremy killed. He wanted to kill you. So.. I don't know how I can go back to being her friend knowing that she chose him." She responded.

"Klaus killed my mom, Elena. My mom. All because I wanted to break the other hybrids bonds. He killed them, too. All of them. She knew it was him and she still.." He swallowed hard, closing his eyes. After taking in a steady breath he continued, "she started sleeping with him right before Esther turned Ric.. Even knowing all the things he did before and everything he did while she was with him... How.. I just. I don't understand, Elena." He choked out.

"I don't either." She said softly, reaching out a hand to gently touch his arm. Elena hadn't known when Caroline had started fooling around with Klaus but learning now when it had started infuriated her as well. Klaus had tried to kill _her_, Caroline's best friend and the blonde was with him at the time. And she was still with him.

Tyler managed to stifle a pain sob, disguising it as a cough. "I need more to drink.." He muttered before making the attempt to push himself to his feet. The hybrid wanted to feel completely numb to the pain and couldn't think of how to do it other than to drink himself into a coma. Not like he would actually go into a coma, he healed too fast for something like that. That didn't mean that he didn't want to.

It took him a couple tries before he was able to haul himself to his feet, despite Elena's protests that he'd probably had too much already. Once upright, Tyler stumbled around the coffee table toward the bar, grabbing another bottle of tequila–this one already open. Bottle in hand he uncorked it with his teeth, spitting the cork onto the floor. He then tipped the bottle up toward his mouth and took a long drink. He said nothing as he walked, more steadily, back to the couch and dropped back into his earlier position. Elena's full lips pulled down at the corners into a frown as she watched him, her warm eyes tearing from his face. "I think I'm going to go."

She placed her hands on her knees and started to stand, though stopped when Tyler looked back at her with pleading eyes. He was obviously drunk and she really didn't want to be around him while drunk. Remembering that, Elena attempted to stand again. In response Tyler quickly sat up, setting the bottle onto the table and reaching out a hand to gentle grasp her arm. "Please don't.." He nearly begged of the girl. Elena sighed inaudibly while looking back into his eyes. Without a word she pointedly looked at the tequila, then back to his face. "Okay.. fine.." He said with a hint of promise in his tone.

"No more tonight?" She asked, still looking between him and the bottle.

"Done." He agreed making her sigh again. She extracted his hand from her arm, then pushed herself to stand, grabbing the bottle from the table, then the cork from the floor. After re-capping it and setting it back into the bar she resumed her place beside Tyler. As soon as she'd sat back his hand was on her arm again and she turned her head to look at him. Suddenly his lips were on hers, hot and wet and oddly inviting.

Regardless of how inviting they were or the tingle it sent down her spine, Elena couldn't help but to push him away. "Tyler.." She breathed and shook her head while pushing her hands at his chest, even though he'd come to a stand-still.

"Please." He begged again. Elena wasn't used to this side of Tyler, hell she didn't think that anyone was. "Please.. help me." He nearly cried while leaning in again. His lips caught hers once more, only slightly more forceful.

"Help you, what? Tyler.." She said after having pushed him away again.

"Forget." His dark eyes were focused on her chocolate ones and as she stared at him Elena caught sight of a tear that leaked from his eyes. It broke her heart, but she knew that this wasn't right. Not that she would see it as a betrayal to Caroline because, let's face it, that ship had sailed. It just didn't seem right, he was drunk, he was still in love with Caroline.. or getting over her. One of the two.

"I can't.. Tyler.. I can't.." She said while shaking her hand, her fingers still splayed across his chest, even though he hadn't moved to kiss her again.

He stared at her for several seconds before nodding and biting at his top lip while pulling away. "I'm sorry, Elena." He barely noticed that the girl didn't break contact with him when he'd moved, only now her hand was back on his arm.

"It's okay. I just.. can't help you like that."

"I understand.. I'm sorry I asked." He said and then fell silent for what seemed an eternity. Elena made a move to stand and his head snapped in her direction. "Please.. don't go. I don't want to be alone." He begged as renewed tears formed in his eyes. The brunette nodded softly and rubbed her hand across his back. It wasn't long before Tyler leaned against her and then she heard his soft snores.

When he woke the next morning, he was sprawled on the couch face-down with a dull migraine and a nagging in his stomach. He didn't remember falling asleep the last thing he remembered was kissing, "Hey, you're awake." Elena's voice rang out causing him to sit up quickly, flushing slightly. "Hope you don't mind, I let your cleaning crew in."

"No, no, that's fine." He said while sitting up and rubbing at his face. "Hey, thanks for not taking off last night."

"No worries." She said with a little smile before turning. "I do need to go, though. I'm already late for school. You should come.. once you wash the smell of tequila away." She teased lightly.

"Ugh.. maybe tomorrow." He groaned and rubbed his temples.

"Uh-uh. You've got to figure out how you're going to play catch-up to graduate." She reminded him causing a faint grumpy expression to pull on his face. "Let's go, up-up-up." She commanded on her way out the door. And then she was gone. A sigh ripped through his lips, spotting the empty tequila bottle on the floor and nudging it away from him.

_Get up, Lockwood. _He commanded himself and got to his feet. Heaving a sigh, Tyler made his way to his room and took another shower to wake himself up as well as to get the liquor scent to fade off. After dressing in a pair of faded blue jeans and a black t-shirt Tyler laced up his boots, grabbed his backpack from the closet and jogged out the door to his car.

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	5. Boy Likes Girl, Girl Likes Boy'

**Disclaimer: As before**

**Warning: Language, Sexual Situations**

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School was a boring affair, collecting all of the school work he would need to catch up and graduate. Thankfully his teachers seemed to take pity on him, believing that the two months he'd vanished for had been to deal with the grief of his mothers death. There was still a mountain of work to be done, however, plus whatever else the teachers assigned between now and finals. That was just what he wanted. Lovely.

He hadn't seen Elena anywhere all day and wondered where she'd gotten off to, then again she was probably playing catch up since she'd been late. Tyler wanted to apologize again for the kiss, this time while sober. It would probably mean more sober than it had last night with him on the verge of being sloppily drunk.

Hitching his backpack over his shoulder, Tyler rounded a corner and slammed headlong into a mass of blonde curls. "Sorry!" Caroline said as she brushed the hair from her face to see who she'd run into. Tyler scowled darkly and deliberately walked around her so that he could keep walking down the hall and away from her. He said nothing, purposely keeping his back to her as he walked away. He heard a tiny 'hmpf' from the blonde before she stalked away as well.

It wasn't until he'd stepped out into the sunshine that he realized he hadn't been utterly broken this time by the sight of Caroline. _It's because you know what a liar she is,_ a small voice said in the back of his head and he quietly agreed. _Tyler! _He whirled around when he thought he heard his name being called.

"Finally! Didn't you hear me?" Elena said as she stopped in front of him.

"No, sorry."

"I called your name, like, six times." She sounded exasperated, though the smile tugging at her lips gave it away. "Did you find out what you needed to do?"

"Yeah, a thousand reports and a million math problems." He responded and shrugged up his shoulders.

"Want some help?" She asked arching a brow.

"Sure.. if you don't mind."

Elena's shoulders shrugged up in response, mimicking him with a smile. "I've got nothing better to do. When do you want to start?"

"Whenever you're free."

"Now."

She laughed and he followed suit before the two of them climbed into his car and headed back to the manor. Between snacking on the food in the fridge that Elena had begged one of the cleaners that morning to stock for Tyler and working on the mountain of math homework it was 10 o'clock before either of them knew the time had passed. Elena stifled a yawn and Tyler had been on the brink of making a joke about it before having caught sight of the clock. "Holy crap. We've been working through this for seven hours. How are we not done?" He asked the question without really expecting an answer.

"At least there's not much left." She commented.

"Yeah, not much math." He retorted causing Elena to laugh again.

"I can come back tomorrow.. if you want."

"That would help a lot." Tyler smiled over at the girl who nodded and promised to come and help him with the rest of the math the next day.

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For three weeks it passed like that. Elena would come over every day after school, even coming over on the weekends. All to help Tyler catch up before the deadline. Over those three weeks Tyler ran into Caroline more than his fair share and each time he would ignore her as if she didn't exist. Twice she'd tried to talk to him, too. The blonde felt alone, the only one who wanted anything to do with her anymore was Klaus, but she knew that it was a possibility when she jumped into the relationship with him.

Tyler spent all of his focus on school work and getting back to where he needed to be. He wanted to graduate, though was still set on taking the year after to just relax and get back into a good place before he would think about college.

Today, Elena had been proofreading his last report on the computer, making small changes to the few spelling errors that she'd found while Tyler sat on the floor beside the desk working on that days math problems for the both of them. "And done." He exclaimed tucking the paper he'd been writing on into the book and slapping it closed.

"Took you long enough, Lockwood. I finished half an hour ago." She teased and when his head turned it was to see the laptop closed and her leaning back with her arms crossed lightly over her chest and he couldn't help but to laugh.

"Couldn't help me out with this?" He asked, lifting the Trig textbook with an arch in his brow.

"Nope." She commented and snickered from her place in the semi-reclining computer chair.

"Classy." He teased while sitting up and dropping the book onto the desk. His hands grasped the arms of the chair, sending her heart crashing into her ribs as he leaned just a bit closer to her. "Now. It's time to celebrate." He exclaimed before pulling back suddenly and spinning the chair around once, causing her to squeal and grip the arms of the chair to steady herself. When she finally came to a stop he grinned and winked, then turned on his heels and darted out of the study. Elena shook her head, but wasn't able to hide the laughter in her eyes.

The brunette couldn't understand why, why, why her heart had fluttered when he'd leaned in like that. Why she was nearly begging him to kiss her again. Caroline's advice, seemingly given years ago, rang through her head. _It's easy. Boy likes girl, girl likes boy._ It almost felt wrong to use Caroline's advice to make a move on her ex-best friends ex-boyfriend.. but she had to know.

Tyler had grabbed them each a soda from the fridge, since he'd promised Elena he wouldn't drink again until graduation, however hesitant he'd been, then made his way back to the study. Elena was still sitting in the same place as when he'd left and he passed the can to her before moving to settle onto the floor where he'd been before. "Hey, Elena.. Thanks for everything." He said and looked over at her, one hand on the floor, the other resting on the desktop to help lower himself without dropping flat on his ass.

The brunette nodded, watching as he moved. Suddenly her hand grasped his arm to stop him from sliding further to the floor. "I wanted to help, Ty." She said while inching closer toward the edge of her chair. Tyler seemed to have realized something was up, so he'd frozen in place.. at least for the moment. "Tyler.. I.." Her pale cheeks flushed as her teeth bit into her lower lip and Tyler couldn't keep his eyes from lowering toward her lips before darting back up. In that one little second he realized what she wanted. He quickly shifted positions so that instead of half dropping to the floor he was on his knees in front of the chair, one arm still clasped in her hand and other moving to grasp the arm of the chair.

"'I' what?" His voice low as his eyes took in hers.

"I don't remember." She murmured, suddenly lost for words at the intensity of his stare. Without stopping to think about it, knowing that she would only talk herself out of it, Elena leaned in and pressed a kiss against his mouth. He responded by instantly pulling her slender frame closer to his while trailing his lips over hers.

His heart slowly began to pick up the pace while hers hammered madly. The hand she'd grasped his arm with slid up until she could toy her fingers into the hair at the nape of his neck. The action sent a shiver down his spine and a smile to his lips as he broke the kiss to speak. "Don't do that," he said before kissing her again. It wasn't a widely known fact, but Tyler was extremely ticklish; particularly his sides and the back of his neck.

"Mm, why not?" Elena asked around his mouth, not wanting to break the contact of their lips. Once more she brushed her fingers over the hair that ran across the back of his neck, purposely dragging her nails across his flesh to bring another shiver that rocked his frame.

"'M ticklish." He confided against her lips.

Elena grinned a little, figuring it could be ammo used at another time before wrapping her arms tightly around him to draw his lips closer. Tyler kissed her even harder, his tongue brushing out to trail over her lower lip until they parted to grant him access. Their tongues vied for dominance between their mouths as his hands balled into her shirt so that he could pull her even closer to the edge of the chair. Tyler couldn't help but to think about the fact that her lips tasted like vanilla and that they were so, so soft. Her fingers tangled into his hair to hold the kiss for as long as she could and the feel of her nails dragging along his scalp sent small shivers through him.

And then among everything he had to wonder why it felt so right. Elena, his best friends ex-girlfriend. Sure, she was fun to be around and she was beautiful as all hell, but Matt. _Matt's got April. _A voice muttered in the back of his head. Another voice asked, _would he be okay with this?_ Which made Tyler realize that Matt might see it as some sort of betrayal of their friendship. Elena was, after all, his first love.. and if something were to happen between he and the doppleganger that would mean that Tyler had been with both of Matt's exes. What did that say about him? _Stop thinking!_ The first voice commanded and as Elena pulled him closer so that their chests were melded together he couldn't help but to obey.

His right hand slid gently up her back to cup her neck as both of hers slipped down his chest. Before he realized it Elena was tugging at the buttons on his shirt and little goosebumps erupted over his flesh where her fingers touched his bare skin. Reacting instinctively, Tyler pulled Elena off of the chair and into his lap, her legs coming to rest on either side of his. Tyler gathered a handful of her dark locks into his hand to draw her head back, ripping his lips away from hers at the same time to press hot open-mouthed kisses along her neck. Her back arched in answer, pushing her hips closer to his and causing a moan to fall from her lips.

Through both of their jeans she could feel that pressure against her thigh and couldn't help but to roll her hips against his, firming that pressure. As a result Tyler nipped at her throat and pulled her slender body closer to his own. Her fingers danced down his chest, purposely letting her nails drag along the flesh where she could reach before unbuttoning the last few on his shirt. As soon as she was able Elena pushed the fabric back in the hope of knocking it off of him, but with his arms wound so tightly around her body she could barely get it to budge.

A faint whimper escaped her, both due to the fact that she couldn't get his shirt off and that he'd nipped at her again. Tyler was being overly careful not to actually bite her. Small nips were okay, so long as he didn't break the skin. Hearing the whimper made him smirk a little, enjoying that he was able to tease her. As she pushed at his shirt again Tyler released his hold on her long enough to roll his shoulders, letting it fall quietly to the floor behind him.

Her fingers once more traced over the planes of his solid chest, at least until his fingers had hooked under the hem of her shirt then yanked it up and over her head. Elena looked at him now, smirking playfully as his eyes trailed away from hers to take in the vibrantly red lacy bra. A brow rose slowly as he let his eyes dart back to her face. The brunette pulled her lower lip in and bit at it for a moment, feeling herself blush as those dark eyes moved over her bare flesh. He, on the other hand, couldn't stop watching the way her chest heaved with every breath she took.

Neither spoke, neither really needed to. Besides, what was there to be said? 'You look pretty' didn't quite cut it and 'I want you' didn't do justice to the ache that had begun in both of them. His hands gripped her knees and trailed slowly up her jean-clad legs until he reached her waist, biting at the inside of his cheek before allowing his fingertips to move up to her bare skin, igniting her body where his skin touched hers. With a breast cupped in each hand, Tyler leaned in to press his mouth against hers once more, Elena moaning quietly into his mouth in return.

Tyler couldn't believe just how _right_ this felt. How was it he had never looked at Elena like this before? How was it that he'd never seen how beautiful and fun she could be? _Matt_, that voice rumbled in his head again causing him to groan. Elena seemed to think it was because of her and ground her hips down onto his. _Stop thinking!_ He commanded himself again as his hands slid away from her perky breasts to wrap back around her.

After shoving the chair she'd occupied earlier out of the way, Tyler tipped them back until Elena was laying on the floor under him. He could hear her breathing erratically while her heart beat frantically and couldn't help but to smirk at the knowledge that he was the one causing it. His hand trailed down her side, loving the feel of her soft skin under his rough hands and the girl arched in response. She was doing him no favors with the ache in his groin and the ever hardening length hidden within his jeans. And she knew it too as she hooked her leg around his waist and pulled his hips to hers, grinding against him to bring a faint moan from him.

Her fingers slid between them, wrestling with his belt buckle and the button on his jeans as he kissed lower on her chest, nipping at her nipple through the lacy red fabric. The friction coupled with his warm mouth caused her to whimper again, arching into him once more. She lost the battle with his belt buckle as he sunk lower on her body until his mouth reached the waistband of her jeans. When his dark eyes opened to land on her face, it was to see her head dropped back with an expression of sheer ecstasy. He smirked and nipped at her stomach while tugging at the button and zipper on her jeans.

She writhed under him, raising her hips to help him free her from the confines of the denim, but not before yanking her shoes off. No sooner had her pants left her slender frame could he smell her arousal and couldn't stop the smirk that pulled at his mouth. He pressed his lips against her thigh, slowly trailing toward that heat concealed behind a pair of red lace panties before feeling her fingers in his hair to guide him, or so he thought.

"Mm-mm, another time." She breathed, tugging at his hair to pull him back up her body. As he moved Tyler licked at her stomach and breasts before nipping at the lace again. He didn't mind either way, but couldn't help but to be secretly glad for her pulling him away. He wanted to be inside of her so badly, to feel her walls clenching around him. The simple thought sent a shiver rocking through his body. When Elena had pulled him high enough that her mouth could reach his, she kissed him hard. The brunette then pulled her hands from his hair and made quick work of his belt buckle, then began pushing his pants with both her hands and her feet at his calves.

Tyler chuckled softly against her lips, using the hand he wasn't supporting himself with to wriggle out of his jeans. He'd intended to leave his boxers on, if only for a little more teasing on her part, but Elena wasn't having it. No sooner had his jeans reached his ankles and the girl was plucking at his boxers. "No fun, huh?" He asked as his lips left hers.

She grinned in return, "oh, there will be plenty of fun." Elena winked up at him, causing his heart to flutter and the ache in his groin to build. With renewed energy he kissed her again while pushing the final constricting piece of fabric from his waist. Elena hadn't realized it until she felt him brush along her inner thigh. With his lips on hers she couldn't very well look, but she could certainly feel and allowed her hand to dip between them until her slender fingers found his fully erect member.

She'd never slept with Matt, but knew his size from their heated make-out sessions, beyond that she'd only ever had Stefan. Each of the men were roughly right above average size, whereas Tyler was decidedly larger than either. She gripped tenderly and began to stroke him, bringing a moan from his lips as he reached under her to unclasp her bra. He needed to see every bare inch of her. Right here, right now.

As his warm mouth closed around her exposed nipple Elena cried. "Oh.. Tyler, please.." she begged arching her hips up toward his. He smirked and dropped his hands to tug at her panties, with her hips angled up it was simpler to slip them from her writhing body. His hand clasped her wrist to pull it away from his aching member and she instead wrapped it around his neck playing in the hair there once more. Tyler gripped himself and pressed against her slick entrance, chewing at his lower lip and imagining just how warm she was.

He pushed slowly into her, having to pause several times to allow Elena, who was whimpering and wiggling under him, to grow accustomed to his size. In to the hilt Tyler froze, taking several long moments to keep himself from exploding as well as allow the girl to calm herself a little. The hybrid hovered over her, his dark eyes locked onto her eyelids until she opened them. Her warm brown eyes connected with his and she smiled. He couldn't help but to smile back before leaning down to kiss her again while pulling his hips back and thrusting deeply into her again.

Elena's fingers tangled tightly into his hair, her whine muffled by his mouth. Without hesitation she wrapped both of her legs around his waist rocking her hips against his roughly as he thrust into her. He tucked one hand under her hips, angling them while he allowed the vampire to set the tempo. She was so warm, so wet, so tight and so utterly inviting. Elena wretched her lips away from Tyler mouth to let out a louder moan, bucking her hips up to meet his.

"Oh.. God.." He heard her breathy moan in his ear, the sound sent a shiver through him that only caused him to slam harder into her. The sound of her moans and the slapping of skin filled the air, the scent of her arousal, sweat and blood hit his nostrils. _Wait. Blood? _His eyes dropped quickly to her face, concerned.. at least until he felt the small lines of pain in his back and realized she'd dug her nails into him. He didn't seem to mind it either as his teeth grazed her throat, causing her back to arch even more.

"Tyl.. Ty.." Elena attempted to moan out his name repeatedly, barely making it through the first syllable. He couldn't stop the smirk that pulled at his lips as she continued the attempt, her nails biting harder into his shoulders until the scent of blood hit his nose again, followed quickly by the sharp pain that faded all too quickly.

Her hips bucked wildly up toward his, crying out loudly. Unable to keep himself from doing it, Tyler pulled his mouth from her neck and looked down at her face. Each time their hips slapped together her eyes squeezed tightly shut with another pleased cry falling from her lips. Tyler marveled at the fact that it was him making those sounds escape her. He never would have thought that he and Elena would be here, having this sort of moment.

As she cried out again he found it was slightly more difficult to thrust into her. That band of nerves inside of her was tightening around him. The pressure only made him work harder on unwinding that bundle which caused her fingernails to dig harder into him until he was sure that there would be permanent crescent scars in his shoulders. Not that he minded one little bit. Her legs, still wrapped around his waist, began to tremble as he thrust faster and deeper into her, their bodies slick with sweat.

Elena had given up her pointless attempts at calling out his name in favor of simply crying out 'Ty', which brought a quick smile to his face that vanished as he fought to hold onto his control. The tightening of her walls around him made it so difficult not to blow right then. He tried to think of something else to hold on, if only for a little longer, but when her legs suddenly tightened around around him, halting her own movements he wasn't able to stop himself and they came together, both crying out in bliss.

A sheen of sweat covered both of their bodies as they panted, still wrapped firmly around one another. Tyler lowered his face to hers and pressed a soft kiss to her lips, her hands moving from his shoulders to his neck in order to hold his mouth to hers. Sweet kisses replaced the lust filled ones from earlier as he pulled his arm from under her to lay her fully onto the floor again. When he made an effort to pull his hips back her legs tightened around him once more, shaking her head in the kiss. Instead he shifted just enough to brush a hand through her damp locks before breaking the kiss with a quiet pant.

"Who'd have ever thought?" She spoke first, laughing softly. The laughter caused a contraction around his member making him hiss quietly and bite his lower lip.

"About what?" He voiced breathlessly.

She fought not to laugh again as her thin fingers brushed through his dark, damp hair. "That we'd be here." Elena explained while her eyes focused onto his.

"I was just thinking about that." He responded, figuring it was better if he'd just been thinking about it rather than having the thought run through his head in the middle of everything.

She carded her fingers through his hair again, chewing at her lower lip for a moment. "What should we tell everyone?"

"What do you want to tell everyone?" He asked in return. Tyler didn't care if everyone knew, it wasn't like his sexual conquests had ever been much of secret before, but then again Elena wasn't a conquest. He hadn't befriended her and asked for her help just to sleep with her. And he was sure that she hadn't helped him just to sleep with him, either. Sure, they were both still hurting a little over someone else but that didn't mean that they couldn't help one another to move on.

"I.. don't know." She said hesitantly.

A brow slowly raised in disbelief. He was sure that Elena had wanted to say something else, but he didn't want to pressure her into voicing what it was either. "Sure about that?" He asked lightly while leaning down to press a kiss to the top of her head. The doppleganger slowly unwound her legs from his waist and let them come to a rest at his sides. Tyler could still feel them trembling and smiled as his free hand trailed down her body to rub her thigh.

Elena frowned a little in response to the question before smirking as his hand moved touched her leg. "I can't think when you do that." She admitted and laughed again causing him to groan at the pressure around his sensitive member.

"And I can't think when you do _that_." He retorted before pulling his hips back to pull himself out of her, then settled back against her slender frame. "So..?"

"I.. God, Tyler I don't want to say anything to ruin this." She said and laughed helplessly.

"Like what?"

"What if I want to tell everyone something different than you and.. you get mad?" She asked, cocking that delicate brow.

"I won't get mad, Elena. If you want to tell people what happened, fine. If not then we'll keep it to ourselves. What do you want to do?"

"Does this.. Are we.." She frowned at herself, unable to form the sentence that she wanted to.

Thankfully, Tyler seemed to know exactly what it was she wanted to ask. "Do you want us to be?"

"Do you? Why is it all up to me?" She asked with another helpless laugh.

"Because I don't want to make _you_ mad." He countered and smirked at the exasperated look that hit her features.

"This is hopeless." She said and playfully shoved at his chest.

His expression, however, was serious as he looked down at her without budging from the push. "I want to be with you." He stated, shocking her.

Elena lay there silently for a few minutes while staring up at him as if looking for something that were hidden below the surface, but Tyler simply looked back at her seriously. Her hand raised to cup his cheek, brushing her thumb across the smooth surface of his skin before a smile slowly crept onto her lips. "How do we tell Matt?" She asked suddenly before laughing. Tyler's face instantly broke into a smile at her confirmation. Sure, she didn't flat out say it, but asking about Matt was the key. In response he leaned down to kiss her again, figuring the answer to that question would come soon enough.

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**AN: I know that many of you were not expecting this, though there was probably a fair few of you who were. I had been wanting to write a good Tylena story for a while and this was my big opportunity, so I took it. If anyone dislikes it I do apologize. **

**Reviews?**


	6. Matt

**Disclaimer: As before**

**Warning: As before**

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Two weeks had come to pass since that moment in the study. Two weeks of secret glances and hidden meetings. Tyler wanted to tell everyone so that they didn't have to hide it, but at the same time he wanted Matt's blessing. _Little late for a blessing, Lockwood. You need forgiveness now._ A voice told him repeatedly, making it more difficult to actually talk to his friend. For some reason that Tyler couldn't quite grasp, Elena wanted to talk to Caroline about it too. They'd actually had their first 'couple's argument' about that one.

"I just don't understand why her opinion means anything." He'd growled and rolled his eyes after the third time Elena had brought it up.

"Because she's still my friend, Tyler.. in a way." She'd countered. Elena wanted to be friends with Caroline still, she wanted to be around the blonde because she'd known her forever. She missed the talks they used to have.

"She doesn't have the right to give you approval, Elena. She's the one who left me." He snapped irritably.

"But she's still my friend." That had been Elena's response every single time Tyler had tried to counter her. He hadn't wanted Caroline to know anything. She sure as hell hadn't made it known to him that she was screwing around with Klaus, did she?

They'd talked about it over and over since that day, too. The doppleganger had also insisted that there be no further intimacy until Matt had been talked to. Sure, there had been kisses and touches when no one was around, but over all PG-13.

The hybrid sighed as he glanced over at his best friend while sitting in History. The class had always bored him, to be honest, but it had been infinitely better when Alaric had been teaching. "Lockwood!" A deep voice called, startling him from the conversation he'd been having with Matt in his head. When his eyes shifted toward the front Mr. Cortez pointed to the open history book in front of him. "Stop oggling Mr. Donovan and read page 462 aloud."

Tyler glanced once more toward Matt, who was now looking back with curiosity, before turning toward the book and reading for the class. _Great, just what I needed. _He thought with a sigh. No sooner did the bell ring and Matt's hand closed around his forearm. "Hey, man, you okay?" His friend asked in concern causing Tyler to shake his head.

"Yeah, just got some stuff on my mind." Tyler responded, quickly shrugging his broad shoulders up.

"Worried about graduation?"

"No, not really. I'm all caught up with everything." Tyler shrugged again, trying to figure out how best to approach the situation. Elena wanted him to talk to Matt and get his best friends blessing to date his ex-girlfriend. Yeah, as if it hadn't been awkward enough the first time around. Although, with Caroline Matt had assumed there had been something between them when there wasn't. At least not at the time. With Elena, however, there were sparks and a chemistry that he never would have thought would have happened between the two. It was different this time around, for so many reasons. One of which was that Matt had been in love with Elena since the third grade.

"So? What's on your mind, Lockwood?" Matt asked. He'd barely taken two steps outside of the classroom when a mass of black hair overwhelmed him when April threw her arms around her boyfriend.

"Matt! We have to go!"

"Go where?" Matt asked in response, obviously at a loss as to what his girlfriend needed from him.

"Did you seriously forget? Prom is in two weeks and you need a tux."

"I have a tux, April."

"Something that would go more with my dress." She whined while tugging on his arm in a very immature pleading sort of way that Matt obviously found adorable. His eyes rolled up quickly while a smile traced over his lips.

"I'm, um, I'm gonna go, I've got stuff to do.." Tyler lied while taking a step away from the happy couple. He wanted to talk to Matt, but he couldn't find the right words. Besides, he couldn't have Matt all depressed while trying to find a tuxedo for his date at prom.

It was with a sigh that he walked away, though he'd only made it halfway down the hall when Matt had caught up with him, once more wrapping a hand around his forearm to halt him. "Ty, what's going on?"

"Nothing, Matty." Tyler said with a smile as he tried to take another step back.

There was a perk that came with knowing Tyler Lockwood for as long as Matt had; He could see right through the bullshit. Tyler could be obvious without even meaning to be and Matt could almost always tell. "Bull. What's going on?"

"Come on, Matt. You've got.. prom to get ready for."

Matt pulled back, thinking for a moment that his best friend was thinking about Caroline again and the fact that they were supposed to have gone together. The blonde sighed as he looked around the emptying halls, then back over his shoulder toward April who was waiting patiently against his locker. After a moment or two of thought he realized Tyler hadn't been mooning over Caroline, he hadn't been as depressive these past couple of weeks and knew that this didn't have to do with a certain blonde vampire.

"Prom can wait. Talk to me, man." Of course, Matt also knew that Tyler wasn't all that open with his feelings. Part of that was due to his father.

Tyler sighed and looked toward April, who had a visitor of her own. Elena stood, talking to the raven-haired girl with only the briefest of flashes toward Tyler. She smiled and nodded encouragingly and he knew that she was listening to every word. _As if that makes this any easier,_ he thought with a sigh as his dark eyes turned back toward his friend. "Matty.. I.. erm.." Tyler sighed softly, trying to find the words. It didn't help that he could see Elena. "I need to talk to you about something."

"Okay, anything, Ty. You know that." Matt responded with confusion written in his blue eyes.

Tyler took in a deep breath and did all he could to focus on Matt, pretending that Elena wasn't there at all. "Well.. you know how Elena's been helping me with school and everything?"

"Yeah." He said, drawing out the word, still very confused.

"Well, I sort of.." he sighed, trailing off. It was a lot harder to do this than he'd thought it would be. A hand raised to brush back through his dark hair, scratching at the back of his neck in the process before his hand dropped to his side. "Okay, I've got feelings for her." He stated quickly, rushing it out with a breath of air. As soon as the words were out Tyler waited for the backlash.

Matt, however, stood stock-still staring up at his best friend as if the man were insane. Tyler counted the time that passed in his head, wondering when it would be acceptable to say something. How long should he give the man to process it. After a minute and a half he cleared his throat and Matt shook his head before a smile tugged on his lips. "I'm sorry.. I thought you just told me that you have feelings for Elena." he said in disbelief.

Tyler felt his cheeks flush as he glanced over Matt's shoulder toward Elena who appeared to be deep in conversation with April, though he knew that she was listening in. "I did."

Matt let out a long breath as his brows knitted together. He stood in silence for a bit longer before, "why are you telling me?"

"Because you're my best friend and she's your ex-girlfriend, Matty. I don't want anything more to happen with her without your approval."

Matt opened his mouth to respond before each word from Tyler sunk in, causing him to frown. "Anything more?"

Tyler inwardly cursed himself. He didn't want to lie to Matt, but knew that the truth would probably cause a tirade. "..I kissed her." It was the truth, just not the whole truth. Tyler chewed on his lip as he looked down at his friend.

Matt sighed softly before turning to look at April, obviously taking in the fact that he had a girlfriend and that he'd moved on from Elena. Sure, she would always be his first love, but she was a vampire now. Seeing the new vampire with April made him sigh softly, the sound caused Elena to glance up and smile at Matt as her eyes connected with his. He smiled back, then turned to shift his gaze toward Tyler again. "She.. wants to be with you?" He asked now.

"It was her idea to talk to you." Tyler stated with a little chuckle, feeling as if this were heading down a better path than he'd thought it would.

"I swear to God, Tyler, you break her heart and hybrid or no, I'll kick your ass." Matt told him seriously. Every line in the young man's face said that he would do it too.

"I wouldn't even fight back." Tyler promised with a quick grin tugging on his lips. From the corner of his eye he could see a little smile twitch at the corner of Elena's mouth in response to the conversation down the hall while she continued talking with April.

"I've got to go.. tux and all that." Matt said with a faint shrug and smile as he turned toward the girls. "See you later."

And then he was gone, off with April. Elena beamed from where April had left her before laughing softly. As soon as the couple was out of sight and the hall was empty she rushed toward Tyler, slinging her arms around his shoulders and standing on her toes to press a kiss to his lips. His arms wrapped around her waist in return, grinning broadly.

"See, that wasn't so bad." She chirped happily.

Tyler rolled his eyes in response. "Maybe not for you." Though he'd sounded serious, he still couldn't help but to smile as he pulled her closer and leaned down to kiss her again. The doppleganger returned it cheerfully before pulling back suddenly. "Wha-?" He asked, looking confused.

"I still have to talk to Caroline." Elena told him.

Instantly Tyler frowned, his nose wrinkling in irritation. A part of him could understand why she wanted to, after all Caroline was one of her best friends. She'd known the girl forever and wanted to stay friends with her.. or maybe it was more that she was hoping once everything calmed down they could be the happy little group they had been. Unlikely, but he could partially understand her hope. There was also the matter of Caroline having cheated on him and not Elena.

"Don't start." The girl said when she caught the little wrinkle in his nose, knowing that there was an argument building within the hybrid.

"Alright, fine, but she's not going to be as polite about it as Matt. I'll guarantee that."

"I don't care. I'm not even looking for her approval. I just want her to know."

"Can't we just let her find out by seeing us?" He asked with a quirk in his brow.

"I'd rather talk to her."

"Tell me I don't have to be there?"

"Nope. I think this requires girl time, anyway." She said with a smile, then pushed herself onto her toes and kissed his lips once more.

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**Reviews?**


	7. Caroline

**Disclaimer: As Before**

**Warnings: As Before**

**Authors Note: I apologize immensely for a lack of posting, I've just been so busy that I haven't actually had the time to sit down and write! I took some suggestions for this chapter and hope it is to everyone's liking!**

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Tyler sighed softly as he leaned back against the counter, staring at the fridge. He'd looked inside it at least four times in the last hour and hadn't found anything that sounded even remotely appealing. He assumed that it had something to do with boredom. Matt was working, Jeremy was at another appointment with Bonnie, Elena was off talking to Caroline.. or at least making the attempt to. Another sigh slid out when he pushed off the counter and opened the fridge again to let his dark eyes dance around the contents.

The hybrid had just reached for the a container of strawberry yogurt when the doorbell rang. Tyler slowly stood up, closing the refrigerator door along the way then slowly made his way toward the font door. Had it been Matt or Elena, he knew that either would have walked straight in. Unable to stop himself he hesitated while reaching for the handle before pulling it open. "Stefan?" He asked in confusion, brows furrowing while staring at the male on the threshold.

"Hey Tyler. How's it going?" The blonde asked.

"Fine.. When did you get back?"

"This morning." Stefan answered casually. "Can we talk."

"Sure.. let's start with where you were." Tyler suggested with a laugh slipping through his lips as he stepped back to allow the vampire inside. Once Stefan had entered the house he closed the door and allowed the male to lead him through to the sitting room.

Once both were seated Stefan stared at the floor for several long, silent moments before looking back to Tyler. "Where'd you go?" He asked the hybrid.

"I needed to get away, clear my head after everything with Care. I heard you took off after Katherine?"

"Yeah.. She went following Caroline and Klaus because I guess she believed that they knew something."

"About what?"

"I.. I guess there's a cure for vampirism. I never would have thought that there was, but apparently Katherine's been looking into it for about 400 years, Kol knows a bit about it, Klaus knows something, too."

"You'd really take it?" Tyler asked with a disbelieving chuckle.

"No. I wouldn't get it for me."

"Who then?"

"Elena." Stefan stated while looking at the floor. Slowly his gaze rose to land on the hybrid's face.

Tyler brows knitted together. "Why Elena? She's fine the way that she is."

"Maybe.. but she wasn't supposed to have this life, Tyler. That was never the plan. I'd always planned to stick around her, be with her for a while until she was a little older and then let her choose. If she wanted this life, then fine. But I'd planned on leaving and letting her stay human, eventually."

"But she's happy like this." Tyler countered.

"Is she really? How can you be so sure of that?"

Here was where Tyler fumbled a little. Stefan had to have known about he and Elena if he were here talking to him. It wasn't as if the two of them had been friends beforehand. "Because Elena and I have been together for the last month. But you already knew that... or you wouldn't be here." He stated while leaning back into the cushions on the couch.

Stefan nodded in agreement and raised a hand to scratch at his cheek before shifting a little on the couch. "Doesn't matter, anyway.. Klaus and Caroline weren't going after any cure. Katherine was just going on some wild goose chase. We wound up in China before she realized that she wouldn't get anywhere without someone else leading the way. Or she could have completely fooled me and lied through her teeth like usual."

"That wouldn't surprise me." Tyler said with a little laugh. "So, where's Katherine?"

"Somewhere in China, I'm betting." He replied, shrugging.

Tyler nodded in response, looking around the room before back to Stefan. "So what are you doing here?"

Stefan let another smile tug on his lips. "Just wanted to check in, see how things were going."

A brow arched as he looked at the elder male. The comment could have been taken several different ways and Tyler was considering each of them while his gaze rested on the man's face. After taking a couple of moments to sit silently he nodded gently. "Things are going fine." He answered. "Elena know you're back?"

"Not yet. I'm actually headed over there now."

"She might be with Care still."

"Still friends?"

"Elena wants to be.. Guess they're trying. You've missed out on a lot, man."

"Yeah.. I heard about most of it from Jeremy." Stefan stated with a little smile tugging on his lips before tapping his knees with his palms and pushing himself to his feet. "I'd better get out of here. I'll see you later, Tyler."

Tyler stood and followed Stefan to the door, opening it and smiling gently at him. "See you around." He replied, closing the door behind the man. A cure? A frown tugged at his lips as he pondered this. The idea was intriguing, honestly. Tyler knew that he would never take it, he couldn't stand the idea of being reverted back to having to change every month and he actually enjoyed immortality and the knowledge that very little could actually kill him. The question was.. would Elena want the cure if it were real?

The question made him frown a little. Surely she liked being a vampire, and he knew that their romance wasn't really able to continue if she took the cure. Well, sure, it could continue, but that would mean that some day he would have to watch her die.. just like everyone else he cared about. The thought of all his friends dying someday while he were left here actually threatened to overwhelm him with depression. Deciding to push past it and get to something a little less morose, he plucked his cell from his pocket to text Elena and ask how things were going.

Tyler wanted to talk to her, just to know that she was still there. Knowing that Stefan would be making his way to Elena at some point very soon and knowing that the topic of the cure would be brought up at some point made him a little paranoid. Would she be thrilled or repulsed by the idea? The question was one that would plague him until he was able to sit down and talk with Elena.

Elena was trying to be nice. She wanted to keep being friends with Caroline, but some how the idea was actually grating on her nerves more than she'd ever thought it would. Naturally the blonde had gushed about Bonnie's pregnancy and the curiosity of whether or not Jeremy and Bonnie would get married. She'd made faces at Damon and Rebekah disappearing together, though made sure to comment that the two deserved one another. The girls discussed school and Caroline's trip with Klaus over coffee at the Grill and basically avoided everything Tyler. Every time Elena attempted to steer the conversation towards him Caroline would back-peddle and lead them to something different. It was getting rather annoying.

Finally, as both cups were drained and the dinner crowd seemed to be vanishing, the brunette decided it was time to get to the point. No sooner had she opened her mouth and her phone buzzed loudly in her pocket. Thinking that it might be Bonnie she quickly grabbed it, only to see a message from Tyler instead. With a tiny smile she responded that she would stop over later before tucking it back into her pocket.

"Ooh, I know that look. Someone has a man-friend." Caroline exclaimed while leaning more onto the table so that she could peer harder at her friend. "Spill!" She practically bounced in her seat.

Elena chewed at her lip, glancing around the restaurant for a moment or two, then back to the blonde. "Well, that's actually why I wanted to talk to you."

"Oh? Well, don't leave me hanging!"

"I'm not here for your approval, Care.. I just want you to know."

Almost instantly Caroline's demeanor changed from that of a giddy teenager to someone a bit more skeptical and cautious. "Know what?" She asked in response, staring even harder at the girl than before.

"I've been seeing Tyler, and-" She'd barely opened her mouth for the next part before Caroline's eyes had flown open in shock, then narrowed darkly.

"You mean my ex, Tyler? Seriously, Elena? As if you don't have enough men falling all over you, you have to go after him too?" Caroline snapped cruelly.

The attitude was precisely what Elena had expected of her once best friend. Admittedly, she would have felt a little betrayed if Caroline had attempted a relationship with Stefan. However, she felt that Caroline had no reason to be upset, she had been the one to leave Tyler hanging. "I'm sorry, Caroline, but we really like each other."

The blonde vampire stared at her friend before rolling her eyes. "That is such bull!"

"Excuse me?"

"That's bullshit. What is this some sort of revenge thing that you guys cooked up?" She asked now, smiling because she believed she had it all figured out.

"What?" How in the world could Caroline think that? "Wow, Care. You really are self centered." Elena said with a frown touching her lips while shaking her head lightly. Without another word she dug into her purse and set the money for her coffee onto the table before pushing herself to her feet and walking toward the door. The girl wanted nothing more than to head straight for Tyler's house and curl up against him. At least she'd accomplished what she'd wanted to. Caroline knew the truth, even if she didn't believe it. Unfortunately she didn't even make it to her car before a hand grasped her arm and turned her sharply around.

Caroline's angry face was only a foot from her own. "Self-centered? Who's the one who can't live without every little bit of drama surrounding them? Everyone loves you but that's not enough, you have to be the center of attention every step of the way and if you're not then you just whine and cry until someone gives in."

"Me, the center of attention? That's a new one, Care. Last I checked you had to be at the top of everyone's list, not me."

"It doesn't matter. Because there's one of two things happening here, Elena. Either you're the rebound girl and Tyler's just going to get sick of you sooner rather than later. Or Tyler really did hook up with you to get back at me. You know, sleep with my best friend because I slept with his enemy."

"That is not what's happening here!" Elena said defiantly. Her fingers had curled into fists at her sides while Caroline continued to taunt her. The brunette felt an anger that she had honestly never held before begin to bubble inside of her, slowly rising itself to the surface. Every word that left her old friends mouth only irritated her more and more. It had gotten to the point that she was no longer hearing most of what Caroline was saying, though a few degrading words about Tyler or herself seemed to slip through and echo loudly in Elena's ears.

Before she even realized what was happening her hand shot up, slapping the blonde across the face with enough force to jerk her head off to the side. Caroline's own hand instantly raised, covering the red mark that was spreading-and healing-across her cheek. The blonde was shocked, so much so that she couldn't find another word to say, nor was she able to immediately react. Elena took the opportunity and rushed to her car, quickly dropped into the driver's seat and pulled away from the curb. Only when Caroline's face was lost in the rear view mirror did she slow down enough to catch her breath.


End file.
